1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a collapsible baseball cap or a collapsible cap with a visor where the cap, by using a loop membrane, can be collapsed to a compacted shape where the shape is fittable in a shirt or pants pocket without the shape being unsightly. A retractable element of the membrane used within the frame of the cap allows the cap to return to its recognizable baseball cap shape when the cap is not restricted in its compacted shape.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the prior art that except when worn on one""s head baseball caps are awkward to carry on one""s person. The reason for this awkwardness is that the bill of the baseball cap is usually made of hard material and the general construction of the cap is semi-rigid in order to maintain the shape of the cap.
Numerous variations of hats have been developed in order to obtain a collapsible nature. Variations include either folding, twisting, or rolling up the hat into a compressed size. The structure of these variations differ from allowing a simple folding action to the complexity of a wire-like semi-flexible loop membrane sewn into the outer periphery of the crown of the hat.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,339, an attempt is made to make a collapsible baseball cap using a loop of flexible material only with the bill of the cap. While this loop of flexible material can support the bill, the collapsing feature of the cap is similar to balling up a piece of fabric. This resulting ball of cap fabric makes the cap unsightly even if it were possible to fit the collapsed cap into a shirt pocket.
Hats that use a full loop membrane within the frame of the hat are intended to be twisted into two or three smaller loops, similar to collapsible auto shades that fold into small circles. However, use of a full loop membrane has not yet been able to be adapted for a baseball cap. The reasons for this are numerous. First, a full loop membrane used in a panama hat or in the auto shade described above does rot provide adequate support for the smaller and complex structure of a baseball cap. For example, in order for a hat to fit in a shirt pocket, it would have to be twisted several times. In the case of an autoshade, the membrane is constructed of a flat strip of metal. Because of its flat shape, the metal strip does not lend itself well to the re-application of folding itself into smaller form. If folding is attempted, the frame may be bent into a shape not recognizable as an autoshade.
Another reason for the inadequacy of the full loop membrane is that when resizing the baseball cap, a full loop membrane has a noticeable and varying impact on the structure of the bill of the cap. Also, in order to construct a frame adequate to accompany the full loop membrane, the frame would require welding, crimping or soldering metal pieces small enough to be used in a cap. Besides the inherent high cost associated with welding or soldering such small frames welded connection areas are more susceptible to breakage than the frame especially when the baseball cap is compacted or stowed away in a pocket.
It is seen from the foregoing that there is a need for a collapsible baseball cap which overcomes the disadvantages found in the prior art concerning structure, adjustability to size and durability of the frame when the cap is collapsed. Such a collapsible cap should be able to fit in a pocket either in the shirt or pants of the user.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible baseball cap.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible baseball cap that when collapsed can fit in a shirt or hip pocket.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible baseball cap that when collapsed does not appear unsightly when fit in a hip or shirt pocket.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible baseball cap that automatically retracts to its original shape after its containment in compact form is removed.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible baseball cap that can be contained by a device such as a zippered pouch or elastic band.
To attain the objects described, there is provided a collapsible cap in which adequate support in both the inner crown and the bill make it easy to twist the cap in several loops that it is small enough to fit into a shirt or pants pocket without being unsightly. A wire-like membrane is used to create support in both the crown and outer circle to support the bill. No glue, welding or soldering would be needed, if a single-wire membrane is used.
If the cap is folded or collapsed and containment of the compacted cap is removed, the retractable property of the membrane returns the cap to its original wearable shape. The cap can still be made resizable by crimping a small portion of the back of the cap to form an arch. This arch area would permit standard size adjustment devices such as a small elastic band or Velcro tabs to size the cap.